Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-10
Curiosifies OF Waterloo.
London Telegraph.

CuriositIes OF Waterloo.
London Telegraph
There have been stories OF Waterloo.
memorials Of Waterloo, criticisms OF
Waterloo, hut the victory has likewise
its curiosities, and among the last Is
the circumstance that the battle which
decided for the time the fate Of Europe
las gone 10y three different names. The
French have called it the Battle OF
Mont st. Jean, and geographically
that title is more accurate than that OF
Waterloo, in which village the battle
certainly did not take place. The
Dukes headquarters, however, were at
the inn at Waterloo, and thither he
returned. mounted on Copenhagen,
When the battle day was done.
For that reason Arthur Wcllcsley's
GROWING conquest has always been and
always will Ire Waterloo. The Dutch,
who participated so CALAMITY in the
historic struggle, have followed our
nomenclature and the king-makingyic-
tory with them isthc "Slagvan Water
loo. The Russians although generally
adopting the Waterloo designation.
have more than once shown strong
tendency to give the name of 81 La
Fclle Alliance 10 the battle, the issue
Of which, according to the PruSsian
d'epatch signed by FieldMarshal
lucher, and countcrsigned by General
Grcisonau. was decided by the appear
arce on the field Of the first column OF
General Zcitnen. who instantly charged
the oncmys right flank and broke
II i'm three. 1t was BluchCr's earnestly
expressed desire that "la Belle
Alliance" should be the title given
to the triumph, the glory Of which he
Shared with Wellington. In the middle
Of the positioa occupied by the French
amy, and exactly upon the height, is n
farm called La Belle Alliance. The
march of all the Prussian columns was
directed toward this farm. which was
visible from every side. 1t was thcre
that Napoleon remained during the
battle. 1t was there that his ruin was
decided and there, too, by a happy
chance. Field Marshal Butcher and
Lord Wellington met in the dark and
mutually salutcd each other rs yictors.
IN commcmoration of the alliance
which now subsists between the Eng
lish and Prussian nations, Of the union
of the two armies, and their reciprocal
confidence, the Field Marshal desired
that this battle should bear the name Of
la Hclle Alliance.
1t is another curiosity Of Waterloo
that when the late Daniel Maclise
rainted his large and crowded picture
Of the interview of the two victors "a
lively controversy arose as to whether
| wellington and Butcher ever met at
/ the farm Of La Belle Alliance Mt all.
/ Maxwell. the careful biographer Of the
| Duke. states that by singular acci-
/ dent the victorious generals met near
| the Bell Alliance. but he acknowledges
/ that another historian Of the battle
| CMudford) asserts that the place o.
meeting was nearer 10 Genappc. There
is no getting, however, over the plain
statement made in the dispatch dictated
" Hluchcr himself, and had that docu-
ment come under the observation OF
Daniel Maclisc he would have painted
tie scene as having occurred, not in
broad daylight, but in the dark. Max
well. moreover, has fallen into positive
error by saying that Wellington re-
crossed the battle-ground and arrived
ia Brussels for supper-an honor
which Napoleon had promised 10 con-
fer upon that ancient city. 1t was to
the inn at Waterloo. as has already
leon pointed out, that the British hero
returned to sup sparingly and to retire
Early 10 rest but be was awakened by
pr. Horne. who had brought him the
| list Of killed AMI wounded and as the
great Captain sat up in bed to listen to
the narrowing tale, his face all smirch-
ID and grimy with the moil Of the fray,
he tefrs coursing down that stern Wis
age made white channels as the Sur
econ with ALTERING voice recorded namC
after name-now of veteran gen
erals. now Of youthful aids-de-camp,
who had been Wellngton's comrades
in many bright field Of arms, and not
only the companions of his campaigns
: hut the friends OF his bosom. 1t wa
TO the inn kitchen at Waterloo about II
on the night of the victory thai DutcE
officer of rank came staggering in, III:
head. his limbs, enveloped in bandages
pleading for Gods sake for bed. Hl'
wounds we're net mortal, but he haC
been horribly cut and slashed by the
French cuirassiers. The British officers
in the kitchen had got big cauldror
full Of some kind of meat stew, anC
they were willing enough that thu
brave Hollsnder should share theil
supper; but a bed was a Who'll
" unobtainAble thing. Suddenly
a very young officer was seen to rise
whisper to the Dutchman, and lead hin
from the room. This young gentle
man had acted as aid-de-camp to al
English general who had fallen earl,
in the struggle. The aid-de-camI
reverently laid the corpse Of his chic
across his own saddle-bow, and rod
with the body to the inn at Waterloo
where the deceased general had sroom
! Inc huDalttrn lSlu lhc iculalhs ou
bed, locked the door of the room, an
rode back to the battle, passing, IN hi
way through the forest OF Soignies
the Dutch regiment, who ha
carefully run away and were qui
city cooking their pOt-au-feu an
smoking their pipes. The subalter
took the Dutch officer up to the room
where lay the body of the English gen
eral He put the dead man under ia
bed, and he put the live Dutshman o.
it, and the latter recovered from hi
wounds. Close to the ina is anothe
curiosity of Waterloo-the grave of tn
Marquis Of Anglesea's leg, which va
amputated by Surgeon Guthrie Mt tn
: house of M. Paris, who, preservln
the Marquis's military bost, place
| the limb decorously in a comm an
gave it honorable interment in his gal
den, planting . weeping willow owe
? | the Felie which has hean further hOf